Thermometer



F. A. NODIN E Dec. 28, 1937.

THERMOMETER Filed July 2, 1957 Maa-NTO@ Patented Eec. 28, 1937 NHTED Si.

u man THERMOMETER Frederick A. Nodine, Terryville, Conni,` assignor to The Cooper @ven Thermometer Company, PequabuokfConn., a corporation of Connecticut Application July 2, 1937, Serial No. 151,592l A Claims.

This invention relates to the construction of thermometers that are particularly designed for indicating the temperature of liquids.

inthe culinary art in order to obtain the best A5 results, it is desirable to at all times be able to know the temperature of the hot liquids, especially oleaginous liquids, in which substances are being cooked. In the industrial eld it is requisite to know the temperatures of heated liquidsacidulated or saline, in which articles are to be treated. It has been common practice for ascertaining such temperatures to employ mercury or spirit thermometers, whichr are inconvenient to read and are easily broken, or to use mechanical thermometers which are of considerable size and occupy an undue amount of the available space in the vessels containing the liquids.

The object of the present invention is to provide for culinary and industrial uses a simple, 20 inexpensive and rugged mechanical thermometer of comparatively small size and capable of use in shallow vessels, which is dependable, accurate, very sensitive to slight changes of temperature and can be read Without close inspection.

ing and connecting a thermo-responsive strip and the temperature indicating means, that a unitary structure is produced which can be readily inserted in a suitable casing.

Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawing is a front view of an active unit that embodies the invention.

Fig. 2 is a back View of the active unit.

Fig. 3 is an edge View of the active unit in a casing which is shown in section.

The active unit has a dial l with the usual temperature indicia, and a pointer 2 that is movable over the face of the dial and that is attached to an arbor 3 which extends through and is rotatably supported by a bushing 4 secured to the dial. Attached tothe rear end of the pointer arbor is a slotted arm 5 and a pin 6 extends from the upper end of a nger 'l into the slot in the arm. The lower end of this nger is fastened to an end of a short U-shaped ribbon 8 of thermoresponsive metal. IThe other end of the thermoresponsive ribbon is fastened to a lug S turned up from the lower end of a strip l0 the upper end of which is secured to the back of the dial by welding or other suitable means. This strip l0 has a section ll which extends rearward and bridges the connection of Ythe nger 'l with the arm 5 on the inner end of the pointer arbor 3. The pointer and its arbor are carried bythe dial, and the linger, thermo-responsive ribbon and This object is attained by so shaping, support supporting strip are attached to the dial, thus these elements form a unitary structure.

The casing illustrated ycomprises a shallow cup l and a tubular stem lthatprojects from a hollow hub it which is attached to and opens 5 into the casing. Preferably the lower end of the stern is open and for a short distance up from the lowerend the stem is slitted, seas-to allow fer circulation offliquid'into the stem andl about the thermostatic ribbon.

In the open end of the cup over the dial is a glass Iii which is held in place by a bezel ll, a packing washer l5 being arranged between the glass and the dial.

The unitary active element and the casing are assembled by thrusting thestrip and thermoresponsive ribbon through the opening in the peripheral wall of the cup from the interior outward. A screw I8 may be threaded through the back wall of the cup into the bridge section Il of the strip lil for holding the parts together. The tubular stem is attached to the hub I4 and the glass and bezel applied to the cup over the dial.

A culinary use for which this thermometer is particularly adapted is that of indicating the temperature of hot fat in which such foods as doughnuts, potatoes and etc. are fried. When used for such a purpose the thermometer is applied to the vessel containing the fat or to a basket or tray holding the food, with the tubular stem immersed in the fat, and the thermo-strip being exposed will quickly respond to the heat of the fat.

The thermo-strip is short and powerful, but very sensitive and although the movement of its free end is slight, as it is connected by a long nonethermal arm with the pointer near its pivot,

a relatively extended movement over the dial indications is imparted to the free end of the pointer.

With the construction described the casing is small and comparatively thin. The parts of the active element are few and simple to make and put together. Only a small amount of the costly thermo-responsive metal is required and the active element can readily be assembled with a suitable case of any desired design.

The invention claimed isz- 1. A thermometer unit comprising a dial with temperature indicia, an arbor extending through and rotatably supported by the dial, a pointer attached to said arbor in front of the dial, an arm attached to said arbor in back of the dial,

a strip with its upper end secured to the back of the dial, an end of a thermo-responsive ribbon secured to the lower end of said strip, a finger with one end attached to the free end of said ribbon, and means connecting the other end of said nger with said Varm on the pointer arbor. 2. A thermometer unit comprising a dial with temperature indicia, an arbor extending through and rotatably supported by the dial, a pointer attached to said arbor in front of the dial, a slotted arm attached to said arbor in back of the dial, a strip with its upper end secured to the back of the dial, an end of a thermo-responsive ribbon secured to the lower end of said strip, a nger with one end attached to the free end of said ribbon and a pin at the other end of said iinger and entering the slot'in said arm on the pointer arbor.

3. A thermometer comprising a dial with temperature indicia, an arbor extending through and rotatably supported by the dial, a pointer attached to said arbor in front of the dial, an arm attached to said arbor in back of the dial, a strip with its upper end secured to the back of the dial, an end of a thermo-responsive ribbon secured to the lower end of said strip, Ya nger With one end attached to the free end of said ribbonjmeans connecting the other end of said nger with said arm Yon the pointer arbor, a

casing enclosing said dial and pointer, and a A tubularV stem extending Vfrom said casing and protecting said thermo-responsive strip. Y

4. A thermometer comprising ardial With ternperature indicia, an arbor extending through and rotatably supported by the dial,V a pointer attached to said arborV in front of the dial, an arm attached to said arbor in back of the dial, a strip with its upper end secured to the back of the dial, an end of a thermo-responsive ribbon secured tothe lower end Yof said strip, a iinger with one end attached to the ireeend of said ribbon, means connecting the other end of said finger with said arm on the pointer` arbor, a shallow cup encasing'said dial ,and pointer, vand a tubular stern extending from said cup and encasing said ribbon, said stemhaving open ends and slits eX- tending upward from its outer end.

5. A thermometer unit comprising a dial with temperature indicia, anV arbor'rotatably sup--v Vbon secured to the free end of said strip, a nger connected to said ribbon and extending parallel with said strip, and means connecting said nger with said pointer. Y Y

' Y FREDERICK A. NODINE. 

